By Eleanor Wilson
A set of multilingual welcome signs is helping the Berwick Show platform its 2023 theme – ‘We are one – Welcome Everyone’.
The series of corflute signs will line the entry to the show, featuring a welcome message in one of six languages: Spanish, Arabic, Hazaragi, Punjabi, Mandarin and English.
Berwick Show Society secretary Margaret Boon said she hopes the initiative will make Casey’s multicultural community feel represented and welcome at the event.
“We had seen, prior to Covid, the number of multicultural families attending the show was increasing and we wanted to make them feel welcome to our show and this was one way to make them feel included the moment they walk through the gate,” Mrs Boon said.
“We’re hoping that by welcoming them in and working with their leaders, we can explore and exchange ideas about the different things that can happen in the show in the future that can incorporate multicultural communities.”
The show society worked with the City of Casey’s Connected Communities Access and Inclusion officers to settle on the six languages, which Mrs Boon says aims to represent a broad cross-section of cultures in the municipality.
“We were mindful in approaching communities and allowing them to take the lead on this project and develop a welcome message in their language that is accurate and representative,” she said.
Australian-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce president John Gulzari said it was fantastic to see the show committee appealing to multicultural communities.
“I think it’s fantastic, because in the past the show has been more mono-cultural, so opening it up to become a multicultural event is a fantastic idea,” he said.
Mr Gulzari believes said the multicultural community within the City of Casey can help to reinvigorate the show.
“We know there are over 100 nationalities and languages present at the moment in the City of Casey, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to get multilingual, multi-ethnic and multicultural communities to participate and give the event a boost,” Mr Gulzari said.
“It is a step toward having an inclusive show and inclusive event but we have a long way to go.”
He said he hopes to see Casey’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community even more involved in future shows.
